The premises of the article was based on the book Fifty Shades of Grey which has seriously taken the "non-DD world" and "DD world" by storm. I haven't read it yet, but if you have..I'd love to hear what you think.
The headline of the article (even though it doesn't say it on the cover..maybe it's too controversial?) is Spanking Goes Mainstream. And, to some extent, that's true. From the popular Fifty Shades of Grey book to Anne Rice deciding to write a series on Dom/sub relationships that discuss spanking in great lengths, to movies, and now Newsweek..it appears it won't be too long before domestic discipline is brought up in "mainstream". And, I have to admit, I think it's awesome.
The article dives pretty deep in exploring why women would want a relationship like that, and although it doesn't specifically mention domestic discipline, it does mention submissive tendencies, and Dom/sub quite a bit.
I'm curious what everyone thinks. To read the article (it's 4 pages, but worth it!) click here. Also, if anyone has read Fifty Shades of Grey yet, please let me know what you think. I'm curious! :)
I really liked Fifty Shades of Grey, but it did seem to portray d/s in a weird kind of light. Christian Grey (The main character) was viewed as strange and troublesome for having his feelings of D/s which was a little annoying, but at the same time I couldn't put the damn book down. Actually, I couldn't put any of the three books down because I thought it was a great read.
ReplyDeleteI finally read Fifty Shades of Grey but only the first one so far. I have the other 2 downloaded on my Kindle, but haven't read them yet.
DeleteHowever, I agree, they do portray it in a pretty weird light. There's a significant amount about the books that I didn't like, but there's also some that I did. I'm planning to do a post on it soon. It's definitely an interesting series.
-Chelsea
I also really liked the books and I have to agree with playful little brat they make the main character out to seem deviant because of his desires. I recommend the book but I cannot believe the way it has taken off. I read them before it became popular and to be honest it wasn't something I would have told anyone I read before it went mainstream!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how popular it has become either! Crazy.
Delete-Chelsea
I have read Fifty Shades of Grey without knowing it was actually based on Twilight.... Anyway, I stayed up all night reading it. It was amazing and actually resulted in me looking more into this genre. I have since gotten myself to know a lot better, and been more honest with myself and my husband. We now incorporate DD into our relationship. Of course, it is nothing like the movies or the books. It can be so rewarding and at the same time, just so hard!
ReplyDeleteI have the magazine lying on the table, now I just need to go read it! Can't wait!
Julia
I didn't know it was based on Twilight either. I learn something new every day. :-)
DeleteDD can be hard, you're right. But there's a lot of rewarding parts too.
-Chelsea
Like the Newsweek article, the book really focuses on the sexual D/s relationship. I definitely wouldn't look at it as an example of the kind of Domestic Discipline lifestyle that you talk about here. In general, Ana (the heroine) enjoys her "punishments" just as much as Grey (the hero) enjoys dishing them out. Aside from that, the book itself is just ok...a guilty-pleasure beach-read, rather than a literary gem (the author herself candidly admits that she's not the best writer). So why the popularity? As the article points out, themes of sexual submission are trendy with women at the moment and when you couple that with a Twilight connection, you apparently have instant success! Cheers, Jo
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Jo. The Newsweek article, as well as the books, are very different than what I consider domestic discipline to be. I also agree that EL James (the author) isn't a great writer but I still thought the books were decently written. Still, there's a lot about it I didn't like.
Delete-Chelsea
Yes, I was going to say that it was originally Twilight fanfiction, called Masters of the Universe (MotW)which is why Christian is so angst-ridden, he was modeled after Edward. It's a yummy read. If you're a stickler for grammar & punctuation and that catches your eye before the heat of the story you may be annoyed (as some of my more picayune literary friends have complained). There are many other BDSM Twilight stories, one of my personal favorites is a trilogy by another writer, (The Dominant/The Submissive/The Training). There are a few others, as well. If you'd like links or the PDFs you can message me.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea it was based on Twilight. I did, however, see an interview with EL James (the author) in which she stated that she set the books in Seattle because that's where Twilight was set. So, I knew of that connection, but none others.
DeleteBecause I'm a stickler for grammar and all that, there were definitely parts of the book that annoyed me (for that reason, and others).
If you wouldn't mind sharing the other links, that would be great! You can email them to me if you don't want to post them here.
-Chelsea
That is just awesome!
ReplyDeleteLol, agreed.
Delete-Chelsea
I loved all of them. Couldn't put them down. It's not great literature - it's not supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteI agree. They're definitely page turners. I have only read book 1 so far, but it was good (not great, however).
Delete-Chelsea
Oh.. wow. That is my first thought, and my second is, I believe God intended men to be HoH, and we can work (and I do) we can become independent, (and I am) and still there is that need to be loved, cherished, to know that He loves me enough to lead. That he respects himself and us enough to make sure I follow... His Little Girl
ReplyDelete"Wow" was my first thought as well. These books have taken the world by storm. It's pretty crazy, honestly.
DeleteI also believe that God intended men to be the HoH's.
-Chelsea
I am working on the third book and have enjoyed them thoroughly. I am enjoying hearing how it's popularity is growing. I believe its showing the inner desire of main steam society desiring for some more traditional roles from our men, but still allowing women the strengths to have career along with what we all deserve, to enjoy without inhibition, the love and attention from our partner in what ever fashion brings us closer together.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your comment. It's obvious this is what majority of society finds fascinating and craves, whether they want to admit it or not.
Delete-Chelsea
OMG - I haven't read the book but it looks like almost eveyone else has - Nightline and 20/20 both did pieces on it last night (4/20/2012)-
ReplyDeleteI am thinking that 'Stormy' or someone else who has a talent for storytelling could write a trilogy about a DD couple and make alot of money while raising public awareness of ttwd...
The popularity is everywhere. I haven't seen the Nightline interview yet, but I did see 20/20's, Datelines, and a few others. 20/20 interviewed the author, and it was actually pretty interesting!
Delete-Chelsea
I haven't read the book, but I was intrigued by the Newsweek article. I find it amusing that feminists are confused that strong working women are drawn to submissive fantasies. Could that possibly be because we were created to be submissive to men (at least in our relationships)and it's easier to be our natural selves instead of what modern world feminists think we should be? I'm not looking to start a firestorm, just something to ponder.
ReplyDeleteTerri, while you may feel that you were created to be submissive to men, many women do not feel that way. Nor does every man want to be the dominant corporal-punishment giver. Please don't make blanket statements about ALL women having submissive natures, because it just isn't true, no matter how much you believe it to be so.
DeleteTerri: I was intrigued by the article too, as well as the overwhelming amount of popularity that these books have received. So, I finally caved in and read the first one (so far).
DeleteI don't necessarily believe that women were created with the purpose of being submissive to men. However, I do believe in the second half of your statement which is that it is easier to be your natural self than it is to try to mold into the modern worlds definition of what you should be. I believe that submissive women are genuinely happier though, I will say that. It's something I've witnessed a great deal of throughout life, research, etc.
Anonymous: I agree that not every man wants to be the "dominant, corporal-punishment giver" (as you put it) and I agree that not all women are submissive wifes/people in general. However, I will say that I believe, in every women, there is some ounce of submissiveness (even if it's just 0.1%).
-Chelsea
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDeleted because it's spam. :)
DeleteI loved the books and wrote a post about it myself. I referenced the same article as you. It really is amazing when that is the cover story on a national magazine. I wonder how different my reaction to the books would be before ttwd. I find the whole debate and conversation in the mainstream media fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI read your post as well and it was great. :-) It really is fascinating, I agree.
Delete-Chelsea
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDeleted because it's spam. :)
DeleteI really enjoyed the books. It had humor, action, and above all else romance. I would def read more books like this. Plus I enjoyed showing this to my boyfriend at Barnes and Noble.
ReplyDeleteLol, what did your boyfriend have to say? :)
Delete-Chelsea
I have not read these books as of yet however that said, I have read Then Beauty Trilogy and I enjoyed them. (I love Anne Rice) I am just becoming aware of this series and will let you know when I get my hands on them and read them. They are available through the nook. Any other good reads that people can recommend would be very much appreciated. I am off of school for the summer and I am looking for things to read.....
ReplyDelete~Melanie
What is the Then Beauty trilogy? I haven't heard of it but will have to look into it.
DeleteYou should check out Good Reads. They have awesome suggestions on there. :-)
-Chelsea
I loved all of them as just "fun." They were very entertaining
ReplyDeleteI have only read the first so far, but I agree, it was entertaining.
Delete-Chelsea
I read the books and that is what got me looking into dd, so I have a question, if you want the punsishment to be for sexually purposes and enjoy it does that make it more d/s than DD. I would like it for outside of the bedroom too, I do enjoy the spanking and what it leads to after but I dont want to do things just to get punished, can both types coexist in a DD lifestyle.
ReplyDelete